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We are proud to announce that we’ve just released a very exciting new feature for SunVisor across both our iOS and Android applications*: forecast UV!

This new feature, available for just a $0.99 upgrade, provides a beautiful chart that allows you to visualize the forecasted UV index, including the daily maximum, at your current location over the entire day. It is also interactive because when you tap on any hour of the day on the graph, a color coded marker appears that shows you what the exact predicted UV index for that hour of the day! The color coding scheme matches same color codes used to classify the level of the UV index in the rest of the app. For example, a color code of red means the UV index at that time is forecast to be very high, whereas a color code of green means the UV index at that time is forecast to be low.

This feature makes it really easy to plan your day ahead in terms of your sun exposure and need to take adequate sun protection measures for you and your family. Along with our real time dashboard and personalized alerts we provide in the app, staying sun safe has never been easier!

We have many other exciting new features in the pipeline that we will be rolling out over the rest of 2016, but always welcome feature requests and feedback from our valued users. Have a feature request you’d like to see? Email us anytime at info@mhealdigital.com

Keeping you sun safe, always.

Lance & the SunVisor team

* Our forecast UV feature is only available at this stage in the USA, but we are working hard to make it available to other regions as soon as possible.

After our launch last year on iOS and Android in Australia, we are pleased to announce that SunVisor is now available on the US app store for iOS, in time for summer! The app will now work anywhere in the US, automatically providing up to date UV risk insights and real time alerts at your exact location! In addition, existing users should upgrade to the latest version (1.2.2) so they can stay sun safe when they travel to the States!

We are encouraged by the positive feedback users have reported about how SunVisor has made them more aware and proactive about managing their sun exposure and use of sun protection. This has been the biggest motivation behind our continued development and release of the app across the world. Like Australia, the US unfortunately also has a high rate of skin cancer – did you know that 1 in 5 Americans develop skin cancer in their lifetime according to the American Academy of Dermatology ?

Our Android version for the US will be available soon. We also have some other exciting new features in the works, so stay tuned!

Feel free to email us anytime with your feedback or feature requests at info@mhealthdigital.com. We love to hear from users, and incorporate their feedback to make SunVisor the best sun protection app out there!

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops from our melanocytes, the melanin producing cells located in the bottom layer of our skin. Unfortunately, it is also the most deadly form of skin cancer killing 1,200 Australians every year.

On average, 30 Australians are diagnosed with melanoma every day. When a cancer is first diagnosed, it must be categorized so appropriate treatment can be provided. To achieve this, a biopsy of the lesion is taken by your GP, dermatologist or surgeon and the results used to determine which ‘stage’ the cancer is in.

The properties that doctors look for are known as TNM principles, which are as follows:

T: The size/location of the tumor or how much it has grown into nearby tissues.

N: Describes whether the cancer has been found in the lymph nodes and even how many of these lymph nodes contain cancer.

Lymph nodes are small oval shaped organs which are distributed throughout our bodies and are a key part of our immune system.

M: Has the cancer metastasized to other parts of the body? Metastasis is where a cancer spreads to another body part or organ not directly connected to the cancer’s origin.

Each of these factors combined determines the stage of the cancer. The TNM factors have to be considered directly in relation to the specific cancer being treated, meaning the staging for each cancer is unique. In general, the cancer stages go from 1 to 4, however some cancers such as melanoma also have a stage 0. Many melanoma stage categorizations can be very detailed and specific, so this is just a general overview:

Note: A melanoma with an ulceration is considered more dangerous and is likely to be staged more maturely.

Stage 0: The lesion is limited to the top layer of the skin and can be surgically removed fairly easily

Stage 1: The melanoma is between 0-2mm thick. The melanoma has still not metastasized and/or spread to the lymph nodes. The lesion is surgically removed.

Stage 2: The tumor is between 1-4mm thick with or without ulceration. The lesion is surgically removed and potentially any nearby lymph nodes.

Stage 3: The melanoma has spread to one or more lymph nodes or into the blood stream. Other small tumors may be found under the skin no more than 2 centimeters away from where the cancer first started.

Stage 4: The cancer has metastasized

Overall, the earlier the stage upon diagnosis, the more easily it can be treated, as it is smaller and more contained. This is why it is so important to complete regular spot checks at home using the ABC’s of melanoma and to see a doctor if you see anything suspicious.